Associate Continuous Improvement Manager

About AutoZone

AutoZone is the nations leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories with more than 6,000 stores in US, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Brazil. Each store carries an extensive line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured hard parts, maintenance items and accessories.

We also sell automotive diagnostic and repair software through ALLDATA, diagnostic and repair information through ALLDATAdiy.com, automotive accessories through AutoAnything.com and auto and light truck parts and accessories through AutoZone.com.

Since opening its first store in Forrest City, Ark. on July 4, 1979, the company has joined the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: AZO) and earned a spot in the Fortune 500.

AutoZone has been committed to providing the best parts, prices, and customer service in the automotive aftermarket industry. We have a rich culture and history of going the Extra Mile for our customers and our community. At AutoZone you’re not just doing a job; you’re playing a crucial role in creating a better experience for our customers, while creating opportunities to DRIVE YOUR CAREER almost anywhere! We are looking for talented people who are customer focused, enjoy helping others and have the DRIVE to excel in a fast-paced environment!

Position Summary

The associate continuous improvement manager is responsible for working with CIM to ensure AutoZone quality programs execution and give recommendations for optimization, providing quality support in bringing in new qualified vendors to meet AZ saving, quality and supply chain target and leading the efforts of ensuring vendors providing consistent quality products to AZ.

Key Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with cross functional teams (US/Asia sourcing, US CIM, Merchandising team, US/Asia supply chain, etc.) to bring in new qualified Direct purchase suppliers per AZ sourcing strategies from quality perspective
• Filter, prioritize and conduct factory assessment on design capability verification, capacity analysis, quality system and compliance systems; follow up with factories to improve. o Perform assessment on factories to document major opportunities that factory needs to take actions on to meet AZ compliance audits.
• Follow up to assist factories and aim to coach them pass audits.
• Support first time compliance for Factory Assessments on new vendors as needed.
• Visit existing suppliers on a regular basis to ensure constant quality requirements are in place consistently to enable company quality objectives are met.
• Support pre-shipment inspection process, provide technical comments.
• Monitor outside agency (sourcing agency, quality service provider) quality performance.
• Travel with merchandising teams to introduce factory quality systems and critical process, demonstrate factory best practices, call out opportunities and follow up for improvements.
• Support product testing projects, perform witness testing at factories or 3rd party service providers as needed.
• Be able to learn product knowledge quick, including what’s the product for, how it’s used, how it’s made, how does it fail, how to test, what’s the new technology, etc.
• Manage quality projects to move DI program along.
• Visit factories per other ad-hoc requests (e.g. product validation, sub-supplier assessment, lead time verification, etc.)
• Provide training to new suppliers on AZ quality programs during onboarding phase.
• Support new product development process.
• Work with compliance manager to support Compliance program
• Perform assessment on factories to document major opportunities that factory needs to take actions on to meet AZ compliance audits.
• Follow up to assist factories and aim to coach them pass audits.
• Support first time compliance for Factory Assessments on new vendors as needed.
• Existing supplier quality performance maintenance
• Visit existing suppliers on a regular basis to ensure constant quality requirements are in place consistently to enable company quality objectives are met.
• Other quality projects
• Support pre-shipment inspection process, provide technical comments.
• Monitor outside agency (sourcing agency, quality service provider) quality performance.
  
  

• Ethical, comply with corporate code of conduct.
• Minimum of 3 years-experience Quality, automotive parts industry preferred.
• Minimum of a bachelor degree in Operations/Supply Chain, Quality, or Engineering. A Masters degree is a plus.
• Intermediate Excel, Word, PowerPoint
• Intermediate Finance and Data Analytics skills
• Basic Retail foundation and project management skills
• Intermediate written and verbal communication skills, to include presentation skills
• Analytical skills and statistical analysis proficiency.
• Excellent written and spoken English skills.
• Quality Management Systems experience with ISO9001 or TS16949.
• IRCA Certified ISO9001:2008 Lead Auditor, ISO9000, ISO/TS16949 internal auditor is a plus.
• Able to accommodate significant travels domestic and internationally per business needs.
  
  

• AutoZone quality program improvement, execution and maintenance
• Quality projects and process development support
• New vendor qualification, development and transition
• Existing vendor quality program maintenance execution
  
  

• PUTS CUSTOMERS FIRST
• CARES ABOUT PEOPLE
• STRIVES FOR EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE
• ENERGIZES OTHERS
• EMBRACES DIVERSITY
• HELPS TEAMS SUCCEED